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LP
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CMAR 007LP
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$29.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 12/5/2025
Acclaimed Scottish composer Craig Armstrong presents his new work Pacific via his own label CMA Records. Written for piano, cello, and electronics, the three-movement piece was originally commissioned in December 2024 by Christian Kellersman, a pioneering figure in contemporary classical and jazz music, for his new live event series Berlin Confidential, co-curated with Alexander Szlovák. Armstrong was among the first artists invited to perform as part of Berlin Confidential, premiering Pacific at Berlin's historic Meistersaal concert hall in March 2025. The concert featured Armstrong on piano alongside cellist Lena Angelina von Almen and producer and musician Guy Sternberg, combining acoustic instruments with live electro-acoustic treatments to create a rich and atmospheric sound world. Recorded in May 2025 at Lowswing Studios in Kreuzberg, Pacific continues Armstrong's ongoing exploration of blending acoustic and electronic sound in a natural, seamless way. Over several days in the studio, Armstrong, von Almen and Sternberg developed the work's intricate textures and dynamic interplay, resulting in a recording that captures both the intimacy and expansiveness of the original live performance. Across its three movements, "Pacific 1" is elegiac in nature, with the main themes stated and developed throughout the piece, punctuated by recurring piano motifs. The second movement is arrhythmic in nature, following shifting time signatures that reflect a sense of uncertainty - the music is searching and static, ending without resolution but leaving hope for one to come. "Pacific 3" moves towards peace and resolution, bringing the work to a close with quiet strength and emotional release. The limited-edition vinyl release has been pressed on Eco Vinyl at SeaBass Vinyl, a sustainable plant near Edinburgh. The record features striking cover art by Dirk Rudolph, who has designed several of Armstrong's previous releases.
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CD
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CMAR 005CD
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Twenty years ago, when Craig Armstrong sat down in his Glasgow studio to compose the cues for Richard Curtis' latest romcom, he had no idea the film would become one of the world's most beloved cult classics -- and his score would be a central part of the film's enduring appeal. The intertwining romances of Love Actually were beautifully punctuated and accented by Armstrong's original score when it was released in 2003. Now, the award-winning musician has returned to his original compositions for an exciting new project, released by independent Glasgow-based record label, CMA Records. The Scottish composer's new album, Love Actually - The Love Themes For Orchestra, comprises 15 songs from the film's original score, all beautifully adapted, extended and reworked to celebrate not only the film's 20th anniversary, but fulfil Armstrong's long-held ambition to create fuller versions of his now classic compositions. Due to the very nature of film editing, Armstrong's cues were often cut down to shorter versions within the film's scenes, but revisiting the score has allowed the Grammy winner to write fuller versions, which have been performed by the Budapest Art Orchestra, conducted by Peter Pejtsik, for the album. The tracks on the new album are updated versions of the most poignant, moving parts of the film, including "Croissants In France," which fans will know and love for its use during the lost in translation love story of Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia (Lúcia Moniz), and "Glasgow Love Theme," a beautiful piano-led piece, which soundtracks the unrequited love between Mark (Andrew Lincoln) and Juliet (Keira Knightley). Creating what he hopes is an added listening experience for both fans of the classic film, and film music lovers in general, with this special album release, Armstrong has, once again, perfectly captured romance, love, desire, passion and emotion through his unique sound.
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LP
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CMAR 001LP
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The first vinyl edition of Craig Armstrong and Scott Fraser's Rosa Morta, released on CD in 2016 (CMAR 001CD). From the outset, Craig Armstrong and Scott Fraser decided their collaboration would be based on an electronic aesthetic: "We intentionally limited ourselves almost entirely to using vintage synthesizers, modern hardware synths and soft synths. The use of electronic bass and piano were the only exception to this rule. As a composer who regularly works with orchestras this was of course liberating and fun. Out of mutual fascination with early synthesizers from a young age this was often the catalyst for the beginning of each track. Each track was composed within one day often without much change thereafter. This gives the tracks an improvised feel. We also gave no limitation to the length of the tracks; they are as long as felt necessary or as short as they demanded. The direct melodic and immediacy of impact was purely the result of each working day and what felt right at the time. Musically we are influenced by electronic music from throughout the decade but only subconsciously after a lifetime of listening and playing. As composers, we have written in several genres and feel all musicians should feel free to express themselves whether in the abstract, tonal, experimental, song improvisation etc." Two tracks were used in the soundtrack to Peter Mullan's 2010 film NEDS, a film about gang culture in the 1970s in Glasgow. Includes download code.
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CD
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CMAR 001CD
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From the outset Craig Armstrong and Scott Fraser decided their collaboration would be based on an electronic aesthetic. CMA Records boss, Craig Armstrong, talks about the album: "We intentionally limited ourselves almost entirely to using vintage synthesizers, modern hardware synths and soft synths. The use of electronic bass and piano were the only exception to this rule. As a composer who regularly works with orchestras this was of course liberating and fun. Out of mutual fascination with early synthesizers from a young age this was often the catalyst for the beginning of each track. Each track was composed within one day often without much change thereafter. This gives the tracks an improvised feel. We also gave no limitation to the length of the tracks; they are as long as felt necessary or as short as they demanded. The direct melodic and immediacy of impact was purely the result of each working day and what felt right at the time. Musically we are influenced by electronic music from throughout the decade but only subconsciously after a lifetime of listening and playing. As composers we have written in several genres and feel all musicians should feel free to express themselves whether in the abstract, tonal, experimental, song improvisation etc. Two tracks were used in the soundtrack to Peter Mullan's 2010 film NEDS, a film about gang culture in the 1970s in Glasgow."
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